Atlético Madrid 3 - Athletic Bilbao 3

Atlético: Mono Burgos; Contra (Otero 60'), Coloccini, García Calvo, Carreras; Albertini, Emerson; Aguilera (Jorge 66'), Correa (Javi Moreno 57'), Stankovic; José Mari. 4-2-3-1.
Athletic: Lafuente; Javi González, Murillo, Lacruz, Larrazábal; Oscar Vales, Gurpegui; Etxeberría (Del Horno 91'), Tiko (Alkiza 71'), Yeste (Karanka 84'); Urzaiz. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Atlético: Coloccini, Aguilera, Stankovic for Santi, Luis García, Fernando Torres / Athletic: Urzaiz for Ezquerro.

Goals:
1-0. 23. José Mari. Headed corner into net as keeper hesitated.
1-1. 49. Urzaiz. Pulled down Gurpegui pass and poked ball past Burgos.
1-2. 52. Urzaiz. Looping header from edge of area after cross in from Yeste.
2-2. 75. José Mari. Forced ball over line after Emerson headed on corner.
2-3. 83. Urzaiz. From close up after Alkiza stepped over Javi González cross.
3-3. 93. José Mari. Took return pass from Emerson and hit low shot past keeper.

A thrilling match at Atlético Madrid, where Luis Aragonés' side drew 3-3 with Athletic Bilbao. The heroes of the day were José Mari for the locals and Urzaiz for the visitors, both of whom scored hat-tricks. Curiously, neither had played as striker in the last match, José Mari being given the role due to an injury to Torres, and Urzaiz coming back in after being dropped by Jupp Heynckes for the last three games. Aragonés also drafted in Coloccini and Stankovic after their good performances in the cup midweek, with Aguilera filling the right wing position vacated by José Mari.

The game started at a frantic pace, with Lafuente in action twice in the first three minutes and Burgos making a spectacular leap to fist away Yeste's free kick. Atlético took the lead midway through the first half when José Mari forced a corner, and then headed Stankovic's kick past Lafuente as he dithered between meeting the cross or staying on his line.

Two opportunist goals from Urzaiz though in a three minute period after the break turned the game around. The big centre forward first of all beat the offside trap to control a ball over the top of the defence and score (something Correa failed to do before the break), and then got ahead of his marker to surprise Lafuente with a header from the edge of the area.

Aragonés made three quick changes, one of which was forced on him due to an injury to Contra, and the other two to introduce fresh attacking players Javi Moreno (looking overweight) and Jorge. Albertini almost caught Lafuente out with a long shot from the right wing which the keeper pushed on to the post, and from the resulting corner he had to make a point blank save from a Carreras header.

Eventually the pressure paid off for the locals, and once again the goal came from a Stankovic corner, José Mari forcing the ball over the line with his thigh after Emerson headed the ball on. Carreras missed yet another easy chance a few minutes later (he had three or four during the game), and then Athletic struck back with Urzaiz's hat-trick, Alkiza cleverly dummying over a Javi González cross leaving the striker with the whole goal to aim at. Claims that González was offside were turned down by the referee.

Still the game was not over, and José Mari got himself booked attempting to emulate Maradona's "hand of god" goal. But two minutes later Emerson sent him away with a return pass, and this time he struck a low shot past the keeper for the equaliser, and his own third of the night. The point keeps Atlético in mid-table, and saves the head of Heynckes once again, who was on a tightrope after Bilbao were knocked out of the cup by Real Unión midweek.